Nagoya, September 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s Dev Kumar Meena set a new national record in men’s pole vault at the 2026 Asian Games, clearing 5.50 metres in the final on Tuesday to improve his previous best by four centimetres. He finished seventh in the competition.
The 21-year-old began his campaign on a positive note, clearing 5.35 metres on his first attempt with a smooth jump. He subsequently raised the bar to 5.50 metres and cleared the height in his first attempt, establishing a new Indian national record.
However, Meena was unable to negotiate 5.60 metres despite three attempts, bringing his campaign to an end at the Games.
India’s other competitor, Kuldeep Kumar, finished 10th with a best clearance of 5.35 metres after failing to clear 5.50 metres.
Meena entered the Asian Games as the national record holder with a clearance of 5.46 metres, which he achieved at the 65th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in June.
Competing at the Kalinga Stadium, Meena had cleared 5.46 metres in his final attempt after successfully negotiating 5.00 metres, 5.20 metres and 5.35 metres. The performance surpassed the previous national record of 5.45 metres, which he had jointly held with Kuldeep following their performances at the Federation Cup in Ranchi in May.
Kuldeep had initially raised the national record to 5.41 metres in May before both athletes cleared 5.45 metres at the Federation Cup. Meena subsequently took sole possession of the record in Bhubaneswar, improving it to 5.46 metres and achieving the Asian Games qualification standard.
His latest performance in Japan further extended his record-breaking run during the 2026 season.
Meena had earlier finished fourth at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he cleared 5.30 metres and narrowly missed a podium finish.
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